Apple AirPods (3rd generation) vs Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

AirPods (3rd generation) compared with AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

	AppleAirPods (3rd generation)	AppleAirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Overview
Released
Released	October 2021	September 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Open-ear	Open-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	No	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	No	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	No
Chip
Chip	H1	H2
Drivers
Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	–	Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode and Conversation Awareness
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Audio Sharing; AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs (SoundGuys)	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Voice Isolation; Live Translation (with an iPhone 15 Pro or later running iOS 26 or later and Apple Intelligence); lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 6 hours	Up to 4 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 30 hours	Up to 20 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 5 hours with Personalised Spatial Audio enabled	Up to 5 hours per charge and 30 hours with the case with noise control off
Charging case
Charging case	MagSafe case supports MagSafe and Qi wireless charging or Lightning; Lightning-only case introduced in 2022 has no wireless charging	Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker for Find My; charges with a USB-C cable, Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger
Fast charging
Fast charging	Around 1 hour of listening after 5 minutes in the case	5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	4.28 g (better)	4.3 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	IP54
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	5.3
Controls
Controls	Force sensor for playback, calls and Siri; “Hey Siri”; no stem volume control	Force sensor on the stems (press once to play, pause or answer a call; twice to end a call or skip forward; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri); “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions by nodding or shaking your head
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming and inward-facing microphones; skin-detecting sensor, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers	Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Open-ear design without silicone tips	Open-ear design with no ear tips
Case weight
Case weight	37.91 g	34.7 g
Dimensions
Dimensions	Each earbud 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm; case 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm (height × width × depth)	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 for earbuds and case; resistance can diminish over time	IP54 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods and charging case
Works with
Works with	Apple devices with current iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS; Bluetooth audio with older Apple software and non-Apple devices, with limited features	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features
Colours
Colours	White	White
In the box
In the box	AirPods, Lightning or MagSafe charging case, Lightning to USB-C cable, documentation	AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker, documentation; USB-C cable sold separately